ONLINE VIDEO ROUND UP: ESPN, Google, Netflix and More

A summary of the most exciting recent news in online video and ad tech in the US, US-Hispanic and Latin American markets. If you're trying to keep up, consider this your one-stop shop.

US/US HISPANIC

Ooyalahas released research that indicates that mid-roll video ad placements are becoming more popular. In February 2015, studies showed that three-quarters (75%) of online video ad placements consisted of pre-rolls in February 2015, against just 20% for mid-rolls. But by April 2016, mid-rolls rose by 25% accounting for 33% of video ad placements while pre-roll has gone down to 60%.

Univision Communicationshas tappedBroadbandTV to manage its YouTube content and channels as a part of its outreach efforts for Hispanic audiences in the U.S. and internationally. BroadbandTV has proprietary technology to upload and monetize fan-generated content for Univision.

Walmart has announced that it is expanding Vudu, an on-demand mostly-centric movie video service, launching a free movie digital service called Vudu Movies on Us, which will be supported by advertising. The movies will have both pre-roll and mid-roll commercials.

Googlehas launched a “skinny” bundle of TV networks called “Unplugged." CBS has signed a carriage deal, and Walt Disney and 21st Century Fox are thought to be close to signing. The bundle of live TV channels at around $25 to $50 per month, and will launch in early 2017.

IHS Market Research has released studies showing that Netflix and Amazon spent $7.5 billion on programming in the last year, more than CBS, HBO and Turner. And the World TV Production Report revealed that between 2013 and 2015, Amazon’s investment in SVOD and online video went from $1.22 billion in 2013 to $2.67 billion in 2015, and Netflix spent $4.91 billion in that period.

In Netflix's quarterly letter to shareholders, it stated that while Amazon is picking up momentum in the streaming market, it's not too worried about them catching up.

According to Eurodata TV Worldwide research, released at MIPCOM Comcast, Time Warner, Sky, Germany’s Kabel Deutschland, India’s Sun Direct, France’s Orange, Mexico’s TelMex and China Telecom are the world’s most powerful players in global distribution. Additionally, it revealed that at least 50 new mainstream SVOD platforms have launched around the world since Netflix launched in 2010. It also tracked the expansion of niche services targeted at specific demographics.

Video inventory management platform, SpotX, and BrightLine, the market leader for advanced TV and OTT advertising, have joined forces to accelerate the automated purchasing workflow of advanced TV ads across millions of U.S. households. The integration will empower publishers to automate the sales of personalized, household-addressable advanced ad units within connected TV (CTV) environments.

Ooyala has announced their partnership with Toca Boca, the number one ranked mobile-first kids brand in Apple’s app store. This way, Toca Boca will be able to deliver its video library of original and curated content to its global audience base to drive engagement and loyalty as well as higher revenue through subscriptions.

LATAM MARKET

ESPNhas launched its flagship ESPN App in Spanish-speaking Latin America. Available on Android and iOS, it has dedicated local editions in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela and has the same capabilities and functionalities as the U.S. edition.

Microsofthas launched its first Transparency Center in Latin America in the city of Brasília (DF), Brazil to promote trusted and safe computing, which is key to the industry and to abating security concerns in the sector. The first Microsoft Transparency Center was launched in 2014 in Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.The World Bank's investment arm, the International Finance Corporation, has made a $1 million commitment to Argentine accelerator NXTP Labs as part of its $30 million Startup Catalyst initiative, which backs accelerators and seed funds in emerging markets.AT&T’s focus on growing the newly acquired Mexican operations in 2015 has been successful: the company added 742,000 wireless net subscribers in 2Q16, and Mexican wireless subscribers are nearing a total of 10 million. DIRECTV added 87,000 video subscribers in LatAm in the last quarter.

PORTADA RESEARCH: Hispanic Online Video Ad Market to Soar to US $450 million. In a new report Portada estimates that the Hispanic Online Video Ad market volume will climb to US $450 millionby 2020. Particularly high growth is to be expected by branded content videos. Among video ad-tipes, in-stream will continue to have the largest share, although out-stream will grow at a higher rate.

Gretchen Gardner @gardnergretchen

Gretchen is a communications specialist and owner of GMG Strategic Communications. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she works with Argentine and international ventures on shaping their content, branding and marketing strategies to position them for success in global markets. She is also a lover of all things information and has worked consistently in journalism since college, most recently as a writer at Portada and as the deputy editor of The Bubble, the first informal, English-language news portal in Buenos Aires. She hails from Washington, D.C. and has a bachelor's degree in history and Hispanic studies from Hamilton College as well as a master's in international relations from the Argentine university Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

Gretchen is a communications specialist and owner of GMG Strategic Communications. She currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she works with Argentine and international ventures on shaping their content, branding and marketing strategies to position them for success in global markets. She is also a lover of all things information and has worked consistently in journalism since college, most recently as a writer at Portada and as the deputy editor of The Bubble, the first informal, English-language news portal in Buenos Aires. She hails from Washington, D.C. and has a bachelor's degree in history and Hispanic studies from Hamilton College as well as a master's in international relations from the Argentine university Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

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